1 00:00:10,327 --> 00:00:12,318 (GROANS OF EFFORT) 2 00:00:30,887 --> 00:00:32,878 (LABOURED BREATHING) 3 00:00:57,407 --> 00:00:59,398 In the heart of the Sahara, 4 00:00:59,567 --> 00:01:02,684 national frontiers are often flimsy affairs. 5 00:01:03,847 --> 00:01:05,838 I'm in a no man's land 6 00:01:06,007 --> 00:01:09,761 near In-Guezzam on the border between Niger and Algeria. 7 00:01:09,927 --> 00:01:12,760 These chunks of scrap metal seek to assure me 8 00:01:12,927 --> 00:01:15,236 that I'm crossing the dividing line 9 00:01:15,407 --> 00:01:18,763 between two of the largest countries in the Sahara. 10 00:01:18,927 --> 00:01:22,602 It's a terrible anti-climax - a scribble in the concrete. 11 00:01:23,447 --> 00:01:27,759 It reminds me of a tombstone. Maybe that's appropriate, 12 00:01:27,927 --> 00:01:30,077 for this whole godforsaken area, 13 00:01:30,247 --> 00:01:32,317 haunt of smugglers and bandits, 14 00:01:32,487 --> 00:01:34,478 feels like a graveyard. 15 00:01:37,967 --> 00:01:40,356 No point waiting around for customs! 16 00:01:40,527 --> 00:01:43,166 Goodbye, Niger, hello, Algeria! 17 00:01:47,527 --> 00:01:50,280 It's time to unwind and look around. 18 00:01:50,447 --> 00:01:53,359 Algeria, tenth-largest country in the world, 19 00:01:53,527 --> 00:01:56,724 is 85 per cent desert - dangerous desert. 20 00:02:08,487 --> 00:02:11,081 As many have discovered to their cost, 21 00:02:11,247 --> 00:02:14,557 driving here is not a right, it's a test of survival. 22 00:02:14,727 --> 00:02:18,686 The soft sand is treacherous, the temperature scorching, 23 00:02:18,847 --> 00:02:20,963 and failure can be fatal. 24 00:02:21,127 --> 00:02:24,756 The route from the Niger border up into Algeria 25 00:02:24,927 --> 00:02:28,237 is absolutely littered with the bleached carcasses 26 00:02:28,407 --> 00:02:32,480 of vehicles that tried to cross the Sahara and never made it. 27 00:02:33,687 --> 00:02:36,884 It's so bleak and pitiless here 28 00:02:37,047 --> 00:02:40,039 that what might be a routine problem elsewhere, 29 00:02:40,207 --> 00:02:44,166 like running out of fuel, is a matter of life and death. 30 00:02:44,327 --> 00:02:47,717 This was the area where Mark Thatcher went missing. 31 00:02:47,887 --> 00:02:51,118 He was only found after an enormous rescue operation, 32 00:02:51,287 --> 00:02:54,563 and other people just weren't so lucky, 33 00:02:54,727 --> 00:02:57,958 and they paid for their mistakes with their lives. 34 00:02:58,127 --> 00:03:01,802 The desert does weird things to your sense of reality. 35 00:03:01,967 --> 00:03:03,446 As we head north, 36 00:03:03,607 --> 00:03:06,440 the shady rocks and cool lakes on the horizon 37 00:03:06,607 --> 00:03:10,919 turn out to be mirages - nothing more than a trick of the light. 38 00:03:16,887 --> 00:03:19,959 This wholly edible non-mirage of fresh tomatoes 39 00:03:20,127 --> 00:03:23,597 and not so fresh tuna is real enough, 40 00:03:23,767 --> 00:03:27,965 but it's accompanied by, well, a pretty rum coincidence! 41 00:03:28,887 --> 00:03:30,878 I'm writing up my diary, 42 00:03:31,047 --> 00:03:35,279 when I bump into the only other Englishman in southern Algeria, 43 00:03:35,447 --> 00:03:38,325 or rather HE, poor man, bumps into us! 44 00:03:41,687 --> 00:03:43,837 The number plate is the first clue. 45 00:03:44,007 --> 00:03:46,840 The lone Mercedes belongs to Tom Sheppard, 46 00:03:47,007 --> 00:03:49,396 and, no, it isn't a mirage. 47 00:03:52,487 --> 00:03:55,684 Tom Sheppard is something of a legend out here. 48 00:03:55,847 --> 00:03:59,760 He's a 68-year-old ex-RAF test pilot who travels the desert, 49 00:03:59,927 --> 00:04:01,918 writing books, taking photos, 50 00:04:02,087 --> 00:04:05,477 and devoting much effort to getting away from people. 51 00:04:05,647 --> 00:04:07,638 I'm on my own, yeah. 52 00:04:07,807 --> 00:04:11,356 I've come down from the north of Algeria, from Tunisia, 53 00:04:11,527 --> 00:04:15,645 and I'm going very carefully around the old French tracks. 54 00:04:15,807 --> 00:04:19,277 When you're travelling, what do you survive on? 55 00:04:19,447 --> 00:04:22,359 I had a birthday two days ago, 56 00:04:22,527 --> 00:04:25,121 and had a really special meal on that one - 57 00:04:25,287 --> 00:04:28,085 meat and two veg and chilled grapefruit. 58 00:04:28,247 --> 00:04:33,082 A damp kitchen towel and the dryness of the air 59 00:04:33,247 --> 00:04:37,286 makes evaporation, and you get cool grapefruit segments. 60 00:04:37,447 --> 00:04:39,324 What more could you ask for? 61 00:04:39,487 --> 00:04:41,478 Does loneliness worry you? 62 00:04:41,647 --> 00:04:44,559 It's been more lonely than I expected. 63 00:04:44,727 --> 00:04:47,195 The last session was about eight days 64 00:04:47,367 --> 00:04:50,200 between seeing one human being and the next. 65 00:04:50,367 --> 00:04:52,722 I didn't expect it to be that long! 66 00:04:52,887 --> 00:04:54,878 (MICHAEL) Does that worry you? 67 00:04:55,047 --> 00:04:57,959 No, it's just so beautiful to be out there. 68 00:04:58,127 --> 00:05:00,721 You get such a lift from the countryside. 69 00:05:00,887 --> 00:05:02,878 Every morning you think, 70 00:05:03,047 --> 00:05:05,720 "I've exhausted the pictures I can take," 71 00:05:05,887 --> 00:05:09,641 then the next morning you look up and think, "Look at that!" 72 00:05:09,807 --> 00:05:13,277 And that's what the desert has always been for me. 73 00:05:13,447 --> 00:05:14,926 40 years of it now! 74 00:05:15,087 --> 00:05:17,521 That you've been coming to the Sahara? 75 00:05:17,687 --> 00:05:19,325 Yeah, one way or another. 76 00:05:19,487 --> 00:05:21,876 This is my lucky 13th visit to Algeria. 77 00:05:22,047 --> 00:05:26,598 (MICHAEL) We're having some lunch. Would you like to join us? 78 00:05:26,767 --> 00:05:30,521 That's kind of you, but I've got to be on my way now, actually. 79 00:05:31,527 --> 00:05:35,281 Good for Tom! Anyone who can be THAT busy in a place like this 80 00:05:35,447 --> 00:05:38,086 wins my respect! Maybe it was the tuna? 81 00:05:40,687 --> 00:05:42,678 As Tom hurries south, we head north 82 00:05:42,847 --> 00:05:45,839 into the weird and wonderful Hoggar mountains, 83 00:05:46,007 --> 00:05:49,397 one of the most bizarre landscapes in the Sahara. 84 00:05:55,727 --> 00:05:59,117 It's like riding through a giant sculpture park. 85 00:05:59,287 --> 00:06:01,755 The hard cores of extinct volcanoes 86 00:06:01,927 --> 00:06:05,602 form a panorama of bluffs and spires and pinnacles. 87 00:06:14,287 --> 00:06:17,518 These are young peaks, their sides deeply scarred 88 00:06:17,687 --> 00:06:20,520 by the explosive force of their creation. 89 00:06:20,687 --> 00:06:23,121 The Touareg call this land Atakor, 90 00:06:23,287 --> 00:06:26,279 like something out of Lord of the Rings. 91 00:06:59,167 --> 00:07:02,842 Next morning, I climb to the top of a 9,000-foot mountain 92 00:07:03,007 --> 00:07:04,998 to watch the sun rise. 93 00:07:05,167 --> 00:07:07,840 Because of Algeria's ten-year civil war, 94 00:07:08,007 --> 00:07:10,396 the Hoggar massif is rarely visited, 95 00:07:10,567 --> 00:07:13,764 which only increases the impact of its beauty. 96 00:07:25,967 --> 00:07:29,642 Down in the dormitory where we spent the night, we pack up. 97 00:07:29,807 --> 00:07:32,037 Our newly acquired sense of peace 98 00:07:32,207 --> 00:07:34,357 is about to be rudely shattered. 99 00:07:34,527 --> 00:07:37,041 (ENGINE ROAR) 100 00:07:37,687 --> 00:07:39,837 This is the other face of Algeria - 101 00:07:40,007 --> 00:07:43,397 a modern republic which freed itself from the French 102 00:07:43,567 --> 00:07:47,355 and is now trying to free itself from Islamic radicals. 103 00:07:47,527 --> 00:07:51,839 Airlines and newspapers can't disguise underlying tensions, 104 00:07:52,007 --> 00:07:55,204 or the fact that these 21st-century comforts 105 00:07:55,367 --> 00:07:59,406 are paid for by one great stroke of fortune. 106 00:08:02,367 --> 00:08:04,597 This is Algeria's Aladdin's cave - 107 00:08:04,767 --> 00:08:06,758 oil and natural gas fields 108 00:08:06,927 --> 00:08:10,920 that provide 90 per cent of the country's foreign earnings. 109 00:08:13,687 --> 00:08:17,680 They've spawned high security towns in the middle of nowhere, 110 00:08:17,847 --> 00:08:19,917 like this one at Hassi Massaoud. 111 00:08:20,087 --> 00:08:23,238 45 years ago, there was nothing here but desert. 112 00:08:23,407 --> 00:08:27,320 This amazing transformation is the result of electric pumps 113 00:08:27,487 --> 00:08:30,081 working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 114 00:08:30,247 --> 00:08:32,636 to pump water up from vast reservoirs 115 00:08:32,807 --> 00:08:36,083 sometimes thousands of feet below the Sahara. 116 00:08:36,247 --> 00:08:38,556 The result is a man-made oasis, 117 00:08:38,727 --> 00:08:41,241 and this extraordinary illusion 118 00:08:41,407 --> 00:08:45,241 that in the middle of the desert, there is no desert. 119 00:08:45,407 --> 00:08:48,797 It's not just like being in a French provincial town, 120 00:08:48,967 --> 00:08:51,037 but French countryside as well. 121 00:08:51,207 --> 00:08:56,156 These are very different from their bony counterparts in Mali and Niger. 122 00:08:56,327 --> 00:08:59,717 It shows what can be done to the desert if there's a will 123 00:08:59,887 --> 00:09:02,720 and a petrochemical industry to back it up. 124 00:09:14,087 --> 00:09:17,397 A few miles from where they first discovered the oil 125 00:09:17,567 --> 00:09:19,956 that so changed Algeria's fortunes, 126 00:09:20,127 --> 00:09:22,118 there is another frontier. 127 00:09:22,287 --> 00:09:25,279 On the other side of it, an even richer country. 128 00:09:25,727 --> 00:09:27,718 This lonely tree 129 00:09:27,887 --> 00:09:29,878 represents the border 130 00:09:30,047 --> 00:09:32,038 between Algeria and Libya. 131 00:09:32,207 --> 00:09:35,802 It's one of the most spectacular frontiers in the world, 132 00:09:35,967 --> 00:09:38,606 and also one of the friendliest. 133 00:09:38,767 --> 00:09:41,839 People from Algeria and Libya sit under the tree 134 00:09:42,007 --> 00:09:43,998 and take tea. 135 00:09:44,167 --> 00:09:46,840 I don't want to leave this beautiful spot, 136 00:09:47,007 --> 00:09:49,965 but leave we must, 137 00:09:50,127 --> 00:09:52,163 across the border 138 00:09:52,327 --> 00:09:55,046 into the sands of Libya. 139 00:09:58,567 --> 00:10:01,684 In Libya, like Algeria, the bulk of the population 140 00:10:01,847 --> 00:10:04,156 clings to the Mediterranean coast. 141 00:10:04,327 --> 00:10:07,717 It's been quite a coup to get permission to film here, 142 00:10:07,887 --> 00:10:11,482 and I'm not going to miss a minute of it. 143 00:10:12,287 --> 00:10:14,596 Well, maybe just a minute! 144 00:10:16,687 --> 00:10:20,680 This looks like being one of the longest bus rides of my life. 145 00:10:33,167 --> 00:10:37,080 To all appearances, Libya has plenty of money but few people, 146 00:10:37,247 --> 00:10:39,238 which is not surprising 147 00:10:39,407 --> 00:10:42,797 as they have the world's third-largest oil revenues 148 00:10:42,967 --> 00:10:46,562 to divide amongst a population less than that of London. 149 00:10:46,727 --> 00:10:51,243 In Benghazi, Libya's second city, you can see the layers of history. 150 00:10:51,407 --> 00:10:55,002 A mosque is beside a palazzo built by Italian colonists. 151 00:10:55,167 --> 00:10:57,397 It now houses one of the committees 152 00:10:57,567 --> 00:11:01,640 which run the great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamariyah. 153 00:11:01,807 --> 00:11:05,117 It feels sleepy, but 60 years ago this coastline 154 00:11:05,287 --> 00:11:08,597 was one of the great Second World War battlefields. 155 00:11:16,687 --> 00:11:20,600 (ARCHIVE COMMENTARY) THE BritisH HavE morE to contEnd witH 156 00:11:20,767 --> 00:11:24,965 tHan just GErmans and Italians. CHoking sandstorms occur daily, 157 00:11:25,127 --> 00:11:29,678 but tHEy don't intErfErE witH tHE job - to dEstroy tHE EnEmy. 158 00:11:39,287 --> 00:11:42,085 (WOMAN) It's the most tremendous battle. 159 00:11:42,247 --> 00:11:46,160 It was a real turning point. If you forget your history, 160 00:11:46,327 --> 00:11:49,876 it comes back and hits you in the back of the neck! 161 00:11:50,047 --> 00:11:52,686 Over the last few years, Lady Avril Randell 162 00:11:52,847 --> 00:11:56,635 has organised reunions for Desert Rats and their relatives. 163 00:11:56,807 --> 00:11:58,479 Today, they're at Tobruk. 164 00:11:58,647 --> 00:12:00,638 Survivors, now in their 80s, 165 00:12:00,807 --> 00:12:03,640 remember what it was like to be trapped here. 166 00:12:05,647 --> 00:12:07,717 There were no girls, no bars. 167 00:12:07,887 --> 00:12:10,037 It was just desert, 168 00:12:10,207 --> 00:12:15,076 and to spend from the age of 20, 21, 22 in that environment, 169 00:12:15,247 --> 00:12:16,760 I hated. 170 00:12:18,927 --> 00:12:22,158 Food, well, it was corned beef, bully beef, 171 00:12:22,327 --> 00:12:25,205 in one form or another. 172 00:12:25,367 --> 00:12:30,521 We were down to about a cup of water a day, 173 00:12:30,687 --> 00:12:32,678 and that was for everything, 174 00:12:32,847 --> 00:12:38,319 and yet, the surprising thing was none of us grew beards! 175 00:12:40,727 --> 00:12:44,720 Highlight of the reunion is the floating of a wreath 176 00:12:44,887 --> 00:12:47,879 into the harbour these men defended for so long. 177 00:12:48,047 --> 00:12:51,722 Without this vital supply line, the allied army in Africa 178 00:12:51,887 --> 00:12:54,447 would have faced almost certain defeat. 179 00:12:54,607 --> 00:12:58,759 There was nothing inside the garrison at all, 180 00:12:58,927 --> 00:13:00,724 only ammunition and men, 181 00:13:00,887 --> 00:13:06,519 and so they had to bring all our food and supplies up, 182 00:13:06,687 --> 00:13:09,042 and they had to get it here somehow. 183 00:13:09,207 --> 00:13:13,359 Rommel said that the desert was a tactician's paradise 184 00:13:13,527 --> 00:13:15,757 and a quartermaster's nightmare, 185 00:13:15,927 --> 00:13:17,918 and that was the fact. 186 00:13:18,087 --> 00:13:21,284 It was like a naval battle at sea with the tanks, 187 00:13:21,447 --> 00:13:23,278 great fleets of tanks, 188 00:13:23,447 --> 00:13:26,564 but if the petrol and ammunition didn't get there, 189 00:13:26,727 --> 00:13:28,206 you were in trouble. 190 00:13:28,367 --> 00:13:31,518 There were 25,000 of us in here, 191 00:13:31,687 --> 00:13:37,398 and that's where we won the name Rats, you know? 192 00:13:37,567 --> 00:13:41,719 Haw-Haw used to say, "Come out of your holes, you rats!" 193 00:13:41,887 --> 00:13:44,082 Well, we did eventually. 194 00:13:44,247 --> 00:13:47,239 We came out a bit too quick for him eventually! 195 00:13:47,407 --> 00:13:51,400 (PLAYS "SCOTLAND THE BRAVE") 196 00:13:52,887 --> 00:13:56,038 Eyes... left! 197 00:13:56,207 --> 00:14:01,361 It's unlikely that any of these Desert Rats will see Tobruk again. 198 00:14:01,527 --> 00:14:04,837 It's a long way, and they're not getting any younger. 199 00:14:05,007 --> 00:14:08,841 Today may be the last time they celebrate the efforts of those 200 00:14:09,007 --> 00:14:12,079 who gave Hitler the first bloody nose of the war, 201 00:14:12,247 --> 00:14:14,807 and one from which he never recovered. 202 00:14:17,687 --> 00:14:20,838 What's been the high point of this trip for you? 203 00:14:21,007 --> 00:14:26,400 The last march past of the old Rats with the bugler and piper 204 00:14:26,567 --> 00:14:29,639 and the Rats of Tobruk Association standard. 205 00:14:32,007 --> 00:14:35,158 (MAN) Do your duties. Dismiss! 206 00:14:35,327 --> 00:14:39,115 (AVRIL RANDELL) The boys can now march off into the sunset. 207 00:14:39,287 --> 00:14:41,278 You'll never see them again. 208 00:14:41,447 --> 00:14:43,438 (PEOPLE APPLAUD) 209 00:15:00,087 --> 00:15:03,477 Modern Libya has often cut itself off from the West, 210 00:15:03,647 --> 00:15:07,526 but over 2,000 years ago, it was an integral part of Europe. 211 00:15:07,687 --> 00:15:11,600 The Greeks and then the Romans were drawn to this fertile land 212 00:15:11,767 --> 00:15:13,758 between the sea and the Sahara, 213 00:15:13,927 --> 00:15:16,919 and built some of their grandest cities here. 214 00:15:17,087 --> 00:15:20,875 Cyrene was a busy metropolis 500 years before Christ. 215 00:15:21,047 --> 00:15:23,766 It had its own port, Apollonia. 216 00:15:23,927 --> 00:15:27,158 Staggering sites, these, but totally deserted. 217 00:15:29,767 --> 00:15:33,077 But then, the modern towns are deserted as well. 218 00:15:33,247 --> 00:15:37,081 Is there some national emergency we've not been told about? 219 00:15:37,247 --> 00:15:41,479 Is it National Stay Indoors Day? Where ARE all the Libyans? 220 00:15:45,367 --> 00:15:49,519 Apart from our driver, everyone seems to have gone... 221 00:15:50,807 --> 00:15:53,765 ...and taken everything with them. 222 00:16:00,727 --> 00:16:02,445 Picnic time, 223 00:16:02,607 --> 00:16:05,599 and despite the fact that there are big cities - 224 00:16:05,767 --> 00:16:09,362 we've seen Tobruk and Benghazi and we're off to Tripoli - 225 00:16:09,527 --> 00:16:13,520 Libya is largely desert, so it's picnic time in the desert. 226 00:16:13,687 --> 00:16:16,997 My packed lunch is enormous. I can't tell what it is 227 00:16:17,167 --> 00:16:19,556 because everything's in Arabic. 228 00:16:19,727 --> 00:16:22,480 All the signs in Libya are in Arabic as well, 229 00:16:22,647 --> 00:16:25,957 despite the fact that a lot of people speak English. 230 00:16:26,127 --> 00:16:28,641 So it could be lunch, or a very large hat. 231 00:16:28,807 --> 00:16:30,798 It is lunch! There we go. 232 00:16:32,247 --> 00:16:34,556 A nice little well-sealed box here. 233 00:16:35,727 --> 00:16:37,160 Ah! 234 00:16:37,887 --> 00:16:40,606 Everything's very typically Libyan... 235 00:16:43,047 --> 00:16:45,197 ...apart from cold chips. 236 00:16:45,367 --> 00:16:49,246 The shortage of water is clearly a problem for Libya, 237 00:16:49,407 --> 00:16:52,717 but Colonel Gadaffi has an impressive answer to it. 238 00:16:52,887 --> 00:16:57,039 These huge concrete sections are for his man-made river project 239 00:16:57,207 --> 00:16:59,004 to bring underground water 240 00:16:59,167 --> 00:17:02,603 1,000 miles from the desert to the coast - 241 00:17:02,767 --> 00:17:07,318 one of the most ambitious engineering schemes in the world. 242 00:17:13,407 --> 00:17:17,082 1700 years ago, water was no problem. 243 00:17:18,247 --> 00:17:21,478 This land was known as the bread basket of Rome, 244 00:17:21,647 --> 00:17:24,480 rich enough from exports of wheat and oil 245 00:17:24,647 --> 00:17:28,526 to boast North Africa's most magnificent city - Leptis Magna. 246 00:17:29,607 --> 00:17:33,520 It gives off a powerful sense of the brute strength of Rome. 247 00:17:35,807 --> 00:17:38,799 These halls were built by Septimus Severus, 248 00:17:38,967 --> 00:17:43,836 an African who became Roman emperor and died in England. 249 00:17:44,007 --> 00:17:47,238 It wasn't just Septimus that ended up in England. 250 00:17:47,407 --> 00:17:49,398 In 1827, the ruler of Tripoli 251 00:17:49,567 --> 00:17:52,639 sent 35 columns and other assorted features 252 00:17:52,807 --> 00:17:55,002 as a present to King George IV. 253 00:17:55,167 --> 00:17:59,445 A bit of Leptis Magna can still be found off the A329 254 00:17:59,607 --> 00:18:02,075 near Virginia Water. 255 00:18:05,287 --> 00:18:08,404 I'm told the amphitheatre at Leptis Magna 256 00:18:08,567 --> 00:18:11,081 has the best acoustics in North Africa. 257 00:18:11,247 --> 00:18:12,646 Let's find out. 258 00:18:12,807 --> 00:18:15,685 (AS GEORGE FORMBY) # I'm leaning on the lamppost 259 00:18:15,847 --> 00:18:17,280 # At the corner of the street 260 00:18:17,447 --> 00:18:19,677 # Until a certain little lady comes by 261 00:18:19,847 --> 00:18:21,838 # Oh, me, oh, my 262 00:18:22,007 --> 00:18:23,804 # I hope that little lady passes by 263 00:18:23,967 --> 00:18:26,527 # She's absolutely wonderful and absolutely marvellous 264 00:18:26,687 --> 00:18:28,166 # And lots of people ask me just why 265 00:18:28,327 --> 00:18:30,602 # I'm standing on the corner, on the corner of the street 266 00:18:30,767 --> 00:18:33,156 # Until a certain little lady passes by! # 267 00:18:33,327 --> 00:18:35,045 (MAN SHOUTS) Get off! 268 00:18:35,207 --> 00:18:37,038 (SCATTERED APPLAUSE) 269 00:18:39,047 --> 00:18:40,526 As we leave Libya, 270 00:18:40,687 --> 00:18:44,157 I have the feeling that despite being generous hosts, 271 00:18:44,327 --> 00:18:47,717 the Libyans are mistrustful of people with cameras. 272 00:18:47,887 --> 00:18:50,481 This was never a problem in my next destination. 273 00:18:56,687 --> 00:18:59,485 Less than 100 miles from the Libyan border, 274 00:18:59,647 --> 00:19:04,482 we're in this arid, almost lunar landscape of southern Tunisia. 275 00:19:05,887 --> 00:19:09,675 It's so arid and uncongenial, that for the last 700 years, 276 00:19:09,847 --> 00:19:13,237 people have been living in caves under the ground. 277 00:19:13,407 --> 00:19:15,921 Believe it or not, I do know this place. 278 00:19:16,087 --> 00:19:20,205 I was crucified here 23 years ago for The Life of Brian. 279 00:19:20,367 --> 00:19:24,440 I've always wanted to come back because it is so unforgettable - 280 00:19:24,607 --> 00:19:26,996 and not many people can say 281 00:19:27,167 --> 00:19:30,477 they've gone back to the place they were crucified! 282 00:19:30,647 --> 00:19:32,797 I'm going to see what it's like. 283 00:19:34,767 --> 00:19:38,476 The crosses are gone, but El-Hadej hasn't changed much. 284 00:19:38,647 --> 00:19:40,717 It remains an underground town, 285 00:19:40,887 --> 00:19:45,039 and though the authorities wish to move people into houses, 286 00:19:45,207 --> 00:19:48,358 there are those who by tradition and inclination 287 00:19:48,527 --> 00:19:51,485 prefer to live and work below the surface. 288 00:20:04,167 --> 00:20:06,556 The older generation of troglodytes 289 00:20:06,727 --> 00:20:10,276 can't see why they should have to move from their caves. 290 00:20:10,447 --> 00:20:13,359 One answer is to cash in on the curiosity value 291 00:20:13,527 --> 00:20:15,518 and become hoteliers. 292 00:20:15,687 --> 00:20:17,678 - Bonjour. - Bonjour. 293 00:20:17,847 --> 00:20:20,759 I'm Michael. Beautiful! 294 00:20:20,927 --> 00:20:23,964 This is where you live. Your house! 295 00:20:24,127 --> 00:20:26,118 (MAN) Yes. 296 00:20:26,287 --> 00:20:29,836 Mmm, nice and silent and cut off from the world. 297 00:20:30,007 --> 00:20:34,159 Do you have a room? Yes? OK, I'll see the room. Thank you. 298 00:20:35,487 --> 00:20:38,479 In here? La? Merci. Après vous. 299 00:20:42,647 --> 00:20:44,638 (SPEAKS ARABIC) 300 00:20:44,967 --> 00:20:47,037 My host was very keen to point out 301 00:20:47,207 --> 00:20:50,119 that living underground made very good sense 302 00:20:50,287 --> 00:20:53,677 as the caves are warm in winter and cool in summer. 303 00:20:55,767 --> 00:20:57,758 Mmm, I think tea's made. 304 00:20:57,927 --> 00:21:01,317 (MAN AND WOMAN SPEAK ARABIC) 305 00:21:06,767 --> 00:21:10,316 My own Arabic being limited, I rely on the one word I know 306 00:21:10,487 --> 00:21:12,717 and repeat it as often as possible. 307 00:21:12,887 --> 00:21:15,447 Merci. Thank you. Shoqlain. 308 00:21:15,607 --> 00:21:18,075 Shoqlain. Shoqlain. 309 00:21:19,487 --> 00:21:23,526 My little Arabic that I know... Some peanuts as well. 310 00:21:23,687 --> 00:21:26,520 Thank you. We've been right round the Sahara 311 00:21:26,687 --> 00:21:29,520 and one thing that doesn't change is the tea, 312 00:21:29,687 --> 00:21:31,882 and the method of making the tea. 313 00:21:32,047 --> 00:21:35,198 It's been the same in every country we've been to, 314 00:21:35,367 --> 00:21:39,440 from Morocco to Mali to Mauritania to Tunisia. 315 00:21:39,607 --> 00:21:41,598 Thank you. 316 00:21:41,767 --> 00:21:44,122 Shoqlain. Very nice. 317 00:21:49,927 --> 00:21:53,761 (ERIC IDLE) CHEEr up, Brian, you know wHat tHEy say, 318 00:21:53,927 --> 00:21:57,078 somE tHings in lifE arE bad. 319 00:21:57,247 --> 00:21:59,636 THEy can rEally makE you mad. 320 00:21:59,807 --> 00:22:02,958 OtHEr tHings just makE you swEar and cursE. 321 00:22:03,127 --> 00:22:06,244 WHEn you'rE cHEwing on lifE's gristlE, 322 00:22:06,407 --> 00:22:09,319 don't grumblE, givE a wHistlE... 323 00:22:09,487 --> 00:22:14,242 #... And tHis'll HElp tHings turn out for tHE bEst 324 00:22:14,407 --> 00:22:16,204 # And... 325 00:22:16,367 --> 00:22:21,441 # Always look on tHE brigHt sidE of lifEl 326 00:22:21,607 --> 00:22:24,519 (EVERYBODY WHISTLES) 327 00:22:24,687 --> 00:22:29,317 # Always look on tHE ligHt sidE of lifEl 328 00:22:29,487 --> 00:22:32,445 (EVERYBODY WHISTLES) 329 00:22:32,607 --> 00:22:37,556 # Always look on tHE brigHt sidE of lifEl 330 00:22:37,727 --> 00:22:40,161 (THEY WHISTLE) 331 00:22:40,327 --> 00:22:44,240 # Always look on tHE brigHt sidE of lifEl # 332 00:22:48,487 --> 00:22:51,797 In southern Tunisia where the desert meets the sea, 333 00:22:51,967 --> 00:22:54,162 an offshore island called Djerba 334 00:22:54,327 --> 00:22:56,318 hangs on to old traditions 335 00:22:56,487 --> 00:22:59,877 as tenaciously as the troglodytes of El-Hadej. 336 00:23:00,047 --> 00:23:03,437 In their case, it's catching octopus in Greek vases. 337 00:23:05,727 --> 00:23:08,924 These men appear to be dressed by Dolce and Gabbana, 338 00:23:09,087 --> 00:23:11,317 but their technique is pre-Roman. 339 00:23:11,487 --> 00:23:13,557 The pots are strung out on a line, 340 00:23:13,727 --> 00:23:17,766 and unfailingly, between November and March every year, 341 00:23:17,927 --> 00:23:20,521 the octopus obligingly climb into them. 342 00:23:32,287 --> 00:23:34,755 There it is! Wow! 343 00:23:49,247 --> 00:23:51,238 Get back in there! 344 00:23:58,487 --> 00:24:00,637 They're all over the place! 345 00:24:03,447 --> 00:24:05,642 OK, well, there's two. 346 00:24:05,807 --> 00:24:08,196 One's crawling up your leg, Nige! 347 00:24:08,367 --> 00:24:10,358 Get back in! 348 00:24:12,967 --> 00:24:14,958 Thank you! 349 00:24:17,127 --> 00:24:19,960 I'm not much good at octopus wrangling, 350 00:24:20,127 --> 00:24:22,118 but I'm learning! 351 00:24:24,687 --> 00:24:26,678 Oh, my gosh! 352 00:24:26,847 --> 00:24:28,838 How many are there?! 353 00:24:39,287 --> 00:24:42,006 Getting them out of the sea's the easy bit - 354 00:24:42,167 --> 00:24:44,635 keeping them on board's difficult. 355 00:24:49,087 --> 00:24:52,875 They love these. They love living in these little urns. 356 00:24:53,047 --> 00:24:55,515 Obviously, there's a synchronicity 357 00:24:55,687 --> 00:24:58,042 between the octopus and the urn, 358 00:24:58,207 --> 00:25:02,200 and here we are, ripping them out, 359 00:25:02,367 --> 00:25:04,961 so I'm not having any more to do with this. 360 00:25:05,127 --> 00:25:08,278 I'm going to start the Octopus Protection League! 361 00:25:17,087 --> 00:25:20,238 Djerba claims to be the island of the lotus eaters 362 00:25:20,407 --> 00:25:23,160 to which Ulysses and his weary sailors came 363 00:25:23,327 --> 00:25:26,797 to be seduced by the narcotic delights of the lotus. 364 00:25:30,887 --> 00:25:32,400 There's no lotus left, 365 00:25:32,567 --> 00:25:36,719 but Djerba seduces thousands of foreigners every year. 366 00:25:36,887 --> 00:25:39,879 (LIVELY MUSIC) 367 00:26:23,687 --> 00:26:26,565 Tourism is now the biggest business in Djerba. 368 00:26:26,727 --> 00:26:29,799 I walk round the souk with El Hay, 369 00:26:29,967 --> 00:26:32,481 who runs one of the better shops in town. 370 00:26:32,647 --> 00:26:35,241 There were few tourists when he was a boy. 371 00:26:35,407 --> 00:26:39,161 He now relies on them for 70 to 80 per cent of his business. 372 00:26:39,327 --> 00:26:44,355 Do you think tourism can have a bad effect, an adverse effect? 373 00:26:44,527 --> 00:26:47,758 Of course, yeah. It didn't bring only good things. 374 00:26:47,927 --> 00:26:50,157 It brought a lot of money to Djerba, 375 00:26:50,327 --> 00:26:53,717 - but we have other problems. - What sort of problems? 376 00:26:53,887 --> 00:26:56,401 Well, we have a lot of... 377 00:26:56,567 --> 00:26:58,558 Our young people change. 378 00:26:58,727 --> 00:27:01,878 They are not practising their religion any more. 379 00:27:02,047 --> 00:27:05,926 They are running after... I don't know... 380 00:27:06,087 --> 00:27:08,965 - Seduced by the money? - Yeah, exactly. 381 00:27:09,127 --> 00:27:13,279 We have this... I don't know if I want to talk about it. 382 00:27:13,447 --> 00:27:17,076 We have this sex tourism. We have a lot of old ladies 383 00:27:17,247 --> 00:27:19,556 coming here to find a young friend. 384 00:27:19,727 --> 00:27:21,718 This is not good. 385 00:27:21,887 --> 00:27:24,640 It's one of the bad sides. 386 00:27:24,807 --> 00:27:28,402 You find sometimes some homosexuals. 387 00:27:28,567 --> 00:27:30,558 They are... 388 00:27:30,727 --> 00:27:32,718 You just go to the beach, 389 00:27:32,887 --> 00:27:36,880 and you see that there are people waiting for an old lady. 390 00:27:37,047 --> 00:27:39,436 We also have a lot of young people 391 00:27:39,607 --> 00:27:42,565 who don't want to work because they have a... 392 00:27:42,727 --> 00:27:44,718 I don't want to say. 393 00:27:44,887 --> 00:27:47,879 But old ladies leave their husbands there 394 00:27:48,047 --> 00:27:50,038 or they don't have a husband, 395 00:27:50,207 --> 00:27:53,005 and they come here to find a friend here, 396 00:27:53,167 --> 00:27:55,158 and so they pay him. 397 00:27:55,327 --> 00:27:57,921 This is one of the bad sides of tourism. 398 00:27:59,687 --> 00:28:03,600 Tunisia, lacking the oil reserves of Libya and Algeria, 399 00:28:03,767 --> 00:28:06,759 has to do all it can to make tourists welcome. 400 00:28:06,927 --> 00:28:09,805 They've been greatly helped by the Romans 401 00:28:09,967 --> 00:28:13,801 who, at el-Djem, left behind the third-biggest amphitheatre 402 00:28:13,967 --> 00:28:15,366 they ever built... 403 00:28:16,527 --> 00:28:18,040 ...whilst at Douga, 404 00:28:18,207 --> 00:28:21,802 graceful temples overlook a purpose-built brothel, 405 00:28:21,967 --> 00:28:25,846 and next door, a masterpiece of imperial plumbing! 406 00:28:26,007 --> 00:28:29,238 The Romans weren't bashful about bodily functions. 407 00:28:29,407 --> 00:28:33,161 This is a public lavatory in the truest sense of the word, 408 00:28:33,327 --> 00:28:36,558 in that there are 12 little toilets here, 409 00:28:36,727 --> 00:28:38,718 and it was a communal lavvy. 410 00:28:38,887 --> 00:28:41,401 You went in - they were called furaci - 411 00:28:41,567 --> 00:28:45,401 and you paid one "ass" to come in, which is a tiny coin, 412 00:28:45,567 --> 00:28:49,355 and they would sit here, and it would be a group thing. 413 00:28:49,527 --> 00:28:52,519 You'd discuss the weather, politics... 414 00:28:54,007 --> 00:28:57,363 ...acting, life, architecture, digestion, 415 00:28:57,527 --> 00:29:01,440 and there'd be water running around this little runnel here, 416 00:29:01,607 --> 00:29:05,077 so you could wash your hands there, bring the water up, 417 00:29:05,247 --> 00:29:08,637 put your hand under there and wash the bits like that. 418 00:29:08,807 --> 00:29:12,356 It was beautifully done. They used cold water, though, 419 00:29:12,527 --> 00:29:15,325 so it must have been a freezing jobby here. 420 00:29:15,487 --> 00:29:19,765 But, er... the Romans were oddly civilised 421 00:29:19,927 --> 00:29:22,600 in sanitary ware, I think. 422 00:29:25,767 --> 00:29:30,124 Not just Romans but Phoenicians, Turks, Greeks, even Normans 423 00:29:30,287 --> 00:29:33,757 have all contributed to Tunisia's rich racial mix. 424 00:29:34,407 --> 00:29:36,762 The most influential were the Arabs. 425 00:29:36,927 --> 00:29:40,476 One of their great monuments is in Monastir, and the locals 426 00:29:40,647 --> 00:29:44,526 never stop talking about the day Monty Python filmed here. 427 00:29:44,687 --> 00:29:48,521 Believe it or not, the more comfortable parts of the filming 428 00:29:48,687 --> 00:29:52,600 that weren't done on crosses happened here in Monastir. 429 00:29:52,767 --> 00:29:55,839 This is the Rebat which is a very old building, 430 00:29:56,007 --> 00:29:59,079 probably about 1300 years old, and this is where 431 00:29:59,247 --> 00:30:02,876 most of the scenes of Life of Brian were done. 432 00:30:03,047 --> 00:30:04,878 I'm just trying to remember it, 433 00:30:05,047 --> 00:30:07,481 because it all looks very tidy and neat. 434 00:30:07,647 --> 00:30:11,435 Yeah, it's coming back to me now. I think the stoning scene 435 00:30:11,607 --> 00:30:13,598 where we were dressed up as... 436 00:30:13,767 --> 00:30:16,804 Women were not allowed to go to stonings - 437 00:30:16,967 --> 00:30:20,277 or was it only women? - so we all played women with beards. 438 00:30:20,447 --> 00:30:23,086 RigHtl WHo tHrEw tHat? 439 00:30:23,247 --> 00:30:26,762 - ComE onl WHo tHrEw tHat? I - (HIGH VOICES) SHE didl 440 00:30:26,927 --> 00:30:28,918 (DEEP VOICE) Himl Himl 441 00:30:29,487 --> 00:30:31,478 - Was it you? - (HIGH VOICE) YEsl 442 00:30:31,647 --> 00:30:33,638 WEll, you did say "JEHovaH"I 443 00:30:34,847 --> 00:30:37,759 Now this DOES bring it back! 444 00:30:37,927 --> 00:30:40,805 The tower Graham Chapman ran up. 445 00:30:40,967 --> 00:30:43,003 At the top, the stairs ran out, 446 00:30:43,167 --> 00:30:46,204 and he's rescued by a flying saucer and goes on! 447 00:30:51,047 --> 00:30:52,958 Aaagh! 448 00:30:55,767 --> 00:30:59,316 I think we must have just taken over this place entirely 449 00:30:59,487 --> 00:31:02,479 for about two months, which seems unlikely. 450 00:31:02,647 --> 00:31:05,400 Up there where those girls are coming down, 451 00:31:05,567 --> 00:31:07,558 just above that, I think, 452 00:31:07,727 --> 00:31:11,720 columns were built where Pontius Pilate came out 453 00:31:11,887 --> 00:31:14,685 and the "We-lease Wodder-wick" 454 00:31:14,847 --> 00:31:18,840 and "He wanks higher than any in Wome!" was done up there. 455 00:31:19,007 --> 00:31:23,717 It's difficult to tell because we added pillars and flags, 456 00:31:23,887 --> 00:31:26,720 but I remember coming out above that bit. 457 00:31:26,887 --> 00:31:28,878 (PEOPLE CHEER) 458 00:31:35,287 --> 00:31:38,518 PEoplE of'JE-woo-salEm... 459 00:31:40,167 --> 00:31:43,000 ...WomE is your fwEndl 460 00:31:43,167 --> 00:31:45,283 (LAUGHTER) 461 00:31:45,447 --> 00:31:49,122 A very strange and rather effective moment 462 00:31:49,287 --> 00:31:51,801 where the power of Rome was challenged, 463 00:31:51,967 --> 00:31:55,198 not by people fighting but by people laughing. 464 00:31:55,367 --> 00:31:58,518 That's what moved me. Once people laughed at him, 465 00:31:58,687 --> 00:32:00,678 there was nothing he could do. 466 00:32:00,847 --> 00:32:04,044 Laughter's a very good weapon and not used enough. 467 00:32:04,207 --> 00:32:07,882 As soon as they started screaming with laughter... 468 00:32:08,047 --> 00:32:11,164 ...then he got... 469 00:32:11,327 --> 00:32:16,162 "ve-wee, ve-wee an-gwee" and made a "gwate fool" of himself! 470 00:32:16,327 --> 00:32:17,646 SilEncEl 471 00:32:20,527 --> 00:32:23,564 THis man commands a cwack IEgionl 472 00:32:23,727 --> 00:32:26,446 (SHRIEKS OF LAUGHTER) 473 00:32:27,527 --> 00:32:30,405 HE wanks as HigH as any in WomEl 474 00:32:30,567 --> 00:32:32,558 (SHRIEKS OF LAUGHTER) 475 00:32:32,727 --> 00:32:35,719 (ECHOING LAUGHTER) 476 00:32:42,607 --> 00:32:45,997 Along the coast from Monastir is the city of Sousse 477 00:32:46,167 --> 00:32:49,079 in which Brian also came to life. 478 00:32:49,247 --> 00:32:51,636 It seems strangely subdued today. 479 00:32:51,807 --> 00:32:54,196 I remember the streets of the old town 480 00:32:54,367 --> 00:32:58,758 as the liveliest in Tunisia. Now they're quiet as the grave. 481 00:33:03,567 --> 00:33:06,684 They're already shutting up shop for the day. 482 00:33:10,167 --> 00:33:14,683 I learn that it's the start of Ramadan, the one month each year 483 00:33:14,847 --> 00:33:18,522 when Muslims are expected to fast during daylight hours. 484 00:33:18,687 --> 00:33:23,283 Candy stalls do a roaring trade thanks to night-time feasts. 485 00:33:23,447 --> 00:33:27,076 I've heard that people put on weight during the fasting - 486 00:33:27,247 --> 00:33:28,646 now I understand why. 487 00:33:39,127 --> 00:33:43,120 Tunisia likes to see itself as secular and outward-looking. 488 00:33:43,287 --> 00:33:45,517 It's also the only Islamic country 489 00:33:45,687 --> 00:33:49,680 in which it's not compulsory to observe Ramadan, but most do, 490 00:33:49,847 --> 00:33:52,236 and with my friend Moes, I visit a café 491 00:33:52,407 --> 00:33:56,400 to see how the country makes the most of the hours of darkness. 492 00:33:58,247 --> 00:34:00,636 Moes orders a shisha, 493 00:34:00,807 --> 00:34:03,958 which is a cigarette the size of a vacuum cleaner. 494 00:34:04,127 --> 00:34:06,880 Charcoal heats honey-flavoured tobacco, 495 00:34:07,047 --> 00:34:09,277 and the air is cooled by the water. 496 00:34:12,167 --> 00:34:14,158 (MOES) Do you want to try it? 497 00:34:14,327 --> 00:34:16,318 Yeah, OK. 498 00:34:23,327 --> 00:34:26,876 Yeah, very nice. It's very relaxing, isn't it? 499 00:34:27,047 --> 00:34:29,083 Would you normally smoke this? 500 00:34:29,247 --> 00:34:32,557 Sometimes, yeah, especially in Ramadan. 501 00:34:32,727 --> 00:34:36,515 People, after eating and everything, they like to relax, 502 00:34:36,687 --> 00:34:39,406 to have a cup of tea and to smoke the shisha. 503 00:34:39,567 --> 00:34:43,116 Are you allowed to smoke during Ramadan during the day? 504 00:34:43,287 --> 00:34:45,278 No, nothing. 505 00:34:45,447 --> 00:34:48,439 No water, no smoking, nothing in your mouth. 506 00:34:48,607 --> 00:34:52,156 - Really? That's very hard! - Just air, you know, maybe. 507 00:34:52,327 --> 00:34:54,318 What is... 508 00:34:54,487 --> 00:34:57,479 What is the worst thing to be deprived of? 509 00:34:57,647 --> 00:34:59,638 Is it water, is it food? 510 00:34:59,807 --> 00:35:01,798 For me, it's water. 511 00:35:01,967 --> 00:35:04,765 For some people, it's food. It depends. 512 00:35:04,927 --> 00:35:08,602 Each person... Some people, smoking, too. 513 00:35:08,767 --> 00:35:10,962 The hardest thing for them 514 00:35:11,127 --> 00:35:14,119 is to stop smoking for 12 hours. 515 00:35:14,287 --> 00:35:16,517 Does it make people bad-tempered? 516 00:35:16,687 --> 00:35:18,678 Some people are bad-tempered, 517 00:35:18,847 --> 00:35:20,838 but some people are not. 518 00:35:21,007 --> 00:35:24,238 If they are bad-tempered, they are bad-tempered. 519 00:35:24,407 --> 00:35:27,001 It's not Ramadan, but some people say, 520 00:35:27,167 --> 00:35:31,206 "I am bad-tempered because it's Ramadan," but it's not true! 521 00:35:31,367 --> 00:35:34,086 They're using it as an excuse. 522 00:35:45,887 --> 00:35:49,721 Apart from the Arabs, most of those who invaded North Africa 523 00:35:49,887 --> 00:35:51,878 stopped short of the Sahara. 524 00:35:52,047 --> 00:35:56,199 The Romans never crossed it and another famous occupying empire 525 00:35:56,367 --> 00:35:58,358 looked only towards the sea. 526 00:35:58,527 --> 00:36:02,361 They were the Carthaginians, and their power base was here. 527 00:36:02,527 --> 00:36:05,121 In fact, the station's called Carthage. 528 00:36:05,287 --> 00:36:08,996 This is the start of my journey through to Algeria. 529 00:36:09,167 --> 00:36:12,637 This is a local train which will take me to Tunis Nord, 530 00:36:12,807 --> 00:36:17,676 the main station in Tunis from which I'll get the Trans-Maghreb Express. 531 00:36:17,847 --> 00:36:20,407 (WOMEN LAUGH) Excuse me, I'm working! 532 00:36:20,567 --> 00:36:23,559 The Trans-Maghreb Express goes to Algiers. 533 00:36:23,727 --> 00:36:27,766 This line goes through wonderful stations - Carthage Amilcar, 534 00:36:27,927 --> 00:36:31,397 Carthage Présidence, Carthage Hannibal - great name - 535 00:36:31,567 --> 00:36:33,842 Carthage Dermech, Carthage Byrsa. 536 00:36:34,007 --> 00:36:35,998 So five Carthage stations. 537 00:36:36,167 --> 00:36:40,240 Whatever the Romans might think, Carthage is not destroyed! 538 00:36:40,407 --> 00:36:42,841 I think when the Romans left Carthage, 539 00:36:43,007 --> 00:36:46,682 they were so fed up with the Carthaginians attacking Rome 540 00:36:46,847 --> 00:36:50,601 that they sowed the fields with salt so nothing would grow. 541 00:36:54,407 --> 00:36:56,398 From the main station in Tunis, 542 00:36:56,567 --> 00:37:00,719 it looks easy enough to continue my journey across North Africa 543 00:37:00,887 --> 00:37:03,196 aboard the Trans-Maghreb Express. 544 00:37:03,367 --> 00:37:05,358 The Arab word "Maghreb" 545 00:37:05,527 --> 00:37:09,281 means "the lands of the setting sun" - the lands of the west. 546 00:37:20,687 --> 00:37:22,678 But there are problems ahead. 547 00:37:22,847 --> 00:37:25,839 Tunisia is international, outward-looking, 548 00:37:26,007 --> 00:37:28,601 and relatively stable. 549 00:37:28,767 --> 00:37:30,997 Algeria, the country I'm going to, 550 00:37:31,167 --> 00:37:34,443 has been caught in a spiral of violence since 1992. 551 00:37:35,687 --> 00:37:38,201 Foreign Office advice is unequivocal. 552 00:37:38,367 --> 00:37:41,245 "The security situation remains serious. 553 00:37:41,407 --> 00:37:46,765 "We advise against all holiday and non-essential travel to Algeria." 554 00:37:58,327 --> 00:38:02,764 At first sight, Algiers seems like any other modern city. 555 00:38:02,927 --> 00:38:04,804 The trains seem to be on time, 556 00:38:04,967 --> 00:38:07,162 there are no porters at the station, 557 00:38:07,327 --> 00:38:10,285 and my hotel, the el-Djezair, is rather grand. 558 00:38:14,327 --> 00:38:17,956 Formerly called the St George, it was built in the 1880s 559 00:38:18,127 --> 00:38:21,676 for fashionable Victorians who flocked to Algiers 560 00:38:21,847 --> 00:38:24,645 to benefit from the healthy climate. 561 00:38:24,807 --> 00:38:28,243 No one flocks to Algiers any more, and I have a bodyguard. 562 00:38:29,407 --> 00:38:31,398 (MAN) Beyond the hotel, 563 00:38:31,567 --> 00:38:37,278 we will be required to travel around Algiers with a team of... 564 00:38:37,447 --> 00:38:41,406 This is Eamonn, and he's an ex-Marine commando. 565 00:38:41,567 --> 00:38:44,957 (EAMONN) The reason we need this security in place 566 00:38:45,127 --> 00:38:47,118 is that since 1992, 567 00:38:47,287 --> 00:38:51,439 foreigners in Algeria have been under fatwa 568 00:38:51,607 --> 00:38:54,599 by certain extreme Islamic groups. 569 00:38:54,767 --> 00:38:58,919 (MICHAEL) Really? Fatwa - the same as in the Salman Rushdie case? 570 00:38:59,087 --> 00:39:01,396 (EAMONN) The Satanic Verses, yeah. 571 00:39:01,567 --> 00:39:04,035 The result is that over 100 foreigners 572 00:39:04,207 --> 00:39:06,243 have been killed in Algeria. 573 00:39:06,407 --> 00:39:08,398 I've travelled quite a bit, 574 00:39:08,567 --> 00:39:11,798 and as far as I know, no one's ever tried to kill me! 575 00:39:11,967 --> 00:39:15,243 I ask Eamonn if this is all strictly necessary. 576 00:39:15,407 --> 00:39:19,161 It is. You're a public figure with a high profile, 577 00:39:19,327 --> 00:39:21,522 and if I lose you, I lose my job! 578 00:39:21,687 --> 00:39:24,804 (MICHAEL) Well, I hope we won't be a problem. 579 00:39:27,767 --> 00:39:30,645 (ACCORDION MUSIC) 580 00:39:30,807 --> 00:39:35,403 Out on the streets, you could be in Lyon or Marseilles. 581 00:39:35,567 --> 00:39:39,924 For 100 years, the French treated Algeria not as a colony 582 00:39:40,087 --> 00:39:41,600 but as a part of France. 583 00:39:41,767 --> 00:39:44,281 As a result, the independence movement 584 00:39:44,447 --> 00:39:49,157 was resisted more fiercely here than anywhere in North Africa. 585 00:39:53,687 --> 00:39:55,837 Said Chitour, a local journalist, 586 00:39:56,007 --> 00:39:58,521 is proud of the fight his people put up, 587 00:39:58,687 --> 00:40:01,918 and takes me to what was the centre of the struggle, 588 00:40:02,087 --> 00:40:05,841 the ancient heart of Algiers - the Casbah. 589 00:40:07,327 --> 00:40:09,318 As the streets of the Casbah 590 00:40:09,487 --> 00:40:12,320 are still a flash point for violent protest, 591 00:40:12,487 --> 00:40:15,240 the local police, known as the Casbah Cops, 592 00:40:15,407 --> 00:40:19,400 have thrown a discreet cordon around the area for our visit. 593 00:40:21,567 --> 00:40:23,797 So successful is this precaution, 594 00:40:23,967 --> 00:40:26,606 that there's absolutely no one about, 595 00:40:26,767 --> 00:40:28,758 and even when someone appears, 596 00:40:28,927 --> 00:40:31,316 he's a local policeman, regrouping, 597 00:40:31,487 --> 00:40:34,604 but they can't keep out the ghosts of old heroes. 598 00:40:35,327 --> 00:40:40,879 Ali La Pointe was one of the resistance fighters against the French. 599 00:40:41,047 --> 00:40:43,959 He was in the film The Battle of Algiers. 600 00:40:44,127 --> 00:40:46,322 - Did he live here? - He lived here 601 00:40:46,487 --> 00:40:49,524 with his friends like Hassiba BenBouali, 602 00:40:49,687 --> 00:40:51,882 and all those freedom fighters. 603 00:40:52,047 --> 00:40:56,086 He was a hero of the Casbah and the Battle of Algiers. 604 00:40:56,247 --> 00:40:58,966 Was the resistance centred on the Casbah? 605 00:40:59,127 --> 00:41:01,516 - Yes. - So it was pretty difficult 606 00:41:01,687 --> 00:41:05,157 for the French to get the revolutionaries out of here. 607 00:41:05,327 --> 00:41:09,115 Very difficult because it's roof to roof, house to house, 608 00:41:09,287 --> 00:41:12,359 and the people can jump from roof to roof. 609 00:41:13,167 --> 00:41:15,158 This is the memorial plate 610 00:41:15,327 --> 00:41:17,318 in memory of Ali La Pointe. 611 00:41:17,487 --> 00:41:19,159 What does it say, Said? 612 00:41:19,327 --> 00:41:23,605 "In October 8th, 1957, 613 00:41:23,767 --> 00:41:26,076 "Ali La Pointe, with his companions, 614 00:41:26,247 --> 00:41:30,035 "spent all day resisting the French paratroopers 615 00:41:30,207 --> 00:41:31,879 "of Bijar and Massoud. 616 00:41:32,047 --> 00:41:35,198 "The French army decided to blow up the house. 617 00:41:35,367 --> 00:41:38,723 "He didn't want to give up, and he died." 618 00:41:39,727 --> 00:41:42,036 (MICHAEL) That's the scene in the film 619 00:41:42,207 --> 00:41:45,005 where they give them the chance to come out. 620 00:41:45,167 --> 00:41:49,126 They decided to stay in, and then they blew the place up. 621 00:42:04,967 --> 00:42:09,279 What do you think Ali La Pointe and these people achieved? 622 00:42:09,447 --> 00:42:12,166 Freedom. Independence for us - 623 00:42:12,327 --> 00:42:15,399 for the generation who are coming after 1962. 624 00:42:15,567 --> 00:42:18,365 Now this place became a kind of centre - 625 00:42:18,527 --> 00:42:21,519 a training centre for young girls of the Casbah 626 00:42:21,687 --> 00:42:24,485 to teach them how to make a good couscous. 627 00:42:24,647 --> 00:42:27,684 Couscous? From the sublime to the ridiculous! 628 00:42:27,847 --> 00:42:31,476 (CHANTING AND MUSIC) The Casbah's coming to life. 629 00:42:32,727 --> 00:42:36,322 I begin to forget security and enjoy myself. 630 00:42:36,487 --> 00:42:40,685 There's lots of character to these claustrophobic alleyways. 631 00:42:40,847 --> 00:42:43,839 (MICHAEL LAUGHS) They think we're crazy! 632 00:42:44,007 --> 00:42:45,884 (SAID) She's a funny girl. 633 00:42:46,927 --> 00:42:50,044 Said shows me some of the Casbah's hidden gems, 634 00:42:50,207 --> 00:42:52,926 like the mosque of Sidi Abd er-Rahman. 635 00:42:55,567 --> 00:42:59,958 He was a 15th-century holy man and patron saint of the city. 636 00:43:00,127 --> 00:43:04,279 A visit to his tomb is said to be very effective for women. 637 00:43:04,447 --> 00:43:07,280 (SHE CHANTS) 638 00:43:16,887 --> 00:43:22,325 Some women pray in here for Allah 639 00:43:22,487 --> 00:43:24,478 to be merciful - 640 00:43:24,647 --> 00:43:26,638 "Allah, bless us" - 641 00:43:26,807 --> 00:43:30,800 and to give us rain because in Algiers there is no more water. 642 00:43:33,167 --> 00:43:36,239 Ironically, the prayers worked only too well. 643 00:43:36,407 --> 00:43:38,875 Within two weeks of our visit, 644 00:43:39,047 --> 00:43:40,844 hundreds were drowned 645 00:43:41,007 --> 00:43:43,840 in Algeria's worst flooding for years. 646 00:43:45,687 --> 00:43:49,919 By Saharan standards, those who live in Algiers look prosperous. 647 00:43:50,087 --> 00:43:54,524 The oilfields see to it that the street markets are well stocked. 648 00:43:54,687 --> 00:43:57,963 Look at the size of those brassieres! Goodness me! 649 00:43:58,127 --> 00:44:01,119 You could get a couple of footballs in there! 650 00:44:02,687 --> 00:44:04,678 I might just pick up a couple. 651 00:44:08,407 --> 00:44:11,001 Next morning, it's time to leave Algiers la Blanche - 652 00:44:11,167 --> 00:44:13,158 the White City, as the French called it. 653 00:44:13,327 --> 00:44:15,716 There's a train that goes west to Oran. 654 00:44:15,887 --> 00:44:19,960 I've heard the line is dangerous so I seek professional advice. 655 00:44:20,127 --> 00:44:23,517 Is it OK to travel? I know there are security problems. 656 00:44:23,687 --> 00:44:26,155 Security is not a problem in the train. 657 00:44:26,327 --> 00:44:28,318 You can go to Oran. 658 00:44:28,487 --> 00:44:32,605 Security is not a problem for you. 659 00:44:32,767 --> 00:44:34,758 - OK? - OK. That's good. 660 00:44:34,927 --> 00:44:36,724 You speak English so well! 661 00:44:36,887 --> 00:44:40,436 Is this something they teach you on Algerian Railways? 662 00:44:40,607 --> 00:44:42,598 It's English of school, 663 00:44:42,767 --> 00:44:46,999 but when you like a language, you practise it very good. 664 00:44:47,167 --> 00:44:49,362 What is your job here? 665 00:44:49,527 --> 00:44:51,757 My job is master of the station. 666 00:44:51,927 --> 00:44:53,918 Station master? 667 00:44:54,087 --> 00:44:55,884 Not station mistress. 668 00:44:56,047 --> 00:44:58,686 Yeah, I'm the first lady in Algeria, 669 00:44:58,847 --> 00:45:00,963 in the stations of Algeria. 670 00:45:04,567 --> 00:45:08,606 This is very clean, I notice. Absolutely tidy. 671 00:45:08,767 --> 00:45:11,600 Yes, it's a woman who is master! 672 00:45:11,767 --> 00:45:15,157 (MICHAEL) And it's a policeman who is following us! 673 00:45:18,087 --> 00:45:21,557 The train is leaving and it's time to say farewell to Said, 674 00:45:21,727 --> 00:45:24,719 who's shown me that, despite the dire warnings, 675 00:45:24,887 --> 00:45:29,119 the people of Algiers could not have made us feel more welcome. 676 00:45:29,287 --> 00:45:32,677 - Michael, have a good trip. - Thanks for everything. 677 00:45:32,847 --> 00:45:35,361 - We'll see you soon. - Inshallah. Bye. 678 00:45:50,287 --> 00:45:53,359 As we pull out, everything looks normal enough, 679 00:45:53,527 --> 00:45:56,758 but in Algeria, it's never wise to be complacent. 680 00:45:56,927 --> 00:45:59,680 The Algiers-Oran line DOES have a history, 681 00:45:59,847 --> 00:46:03,317 and I'm certainly not allowed to ride it unprotected. 682 00:46:10,287 --> 00:46:12,278 Is that OK? 683 00:46:16,007 --> 00:46:18,805 Is there a security problem on this line? 684 00:46:18,967 --> 00:46:23,836 Yes, there is, and there has been over the last ten years. 685 00:46:24,007 --> 00:46:27,204 This is an area to the south of Algiers 686 00:46:27,367 --> 00:46:29,358 in a... 687 00:46:29,527 --> 00:46:32,360 Known as "The triangle of death". 688 00:46:32,527 --> 00:46:34,722 We're approaching Blida, 689 00:46:34,887 --> 00:46:39,642 and this has been the most bombed railway line in the world 690 00:46:39,807 --> 00:46:42,526 over the last ten years. 691 00:46:43,687 --> 00:46:46,679 Do people attack the train, ambush? 692 00:46:46,847 --> 00:46:48,917 Yes, this train has been bombed, 693 00:46:49,087 --> 00:46:53,399 it has been stopped by people coming onto the train 694 00:46:53,567 --> 00:46:56,035 and pulling the communication cord, 695 00:46:56,207 --> 00:46:59,802 which is why there's no communication cord on the train. 696 00:46:59,967 --> 00:47:02,845 Really? What was the problem? 697 00:47:03,007 --> 00:47:07,478 Well, you'd get confederates of terrorist groups 698 00:47:07,647 --> 00:47:11,322 who'd come onto the train masquerading as passengers. 699 00:47:11,487 --> 00:47:15,162 They'd pull the communication cord, the train would stop 700 00:47:15,327 --> 00:47:18,160 and the terrorists would come onto the train 701 00:47:18,327 --> 00:47:22,843 and commit acts of cruelty and barbarism. 702 00:47:23,007 --> 00:47:27,000 What, they'd take people's lives on the train? 703 00:47:27,167 --> 00:47:29,761 Yes, they would, in awful circumstances 704 00:47:29,927 --> 00:47:32,236 that we really don't want to go into. 705 00:47:32,407 --> 00:47:34,921 Now, however, over the last two years, 706 00:47:35,087 --> 00:47:37,317 you will find as you are going along 707 00:47:37,487 --> 00:47:39,796 there is a major security presence, 708 00:47:39,967 --> 00:47:43,960 and you will not really run the same risk, 709 00:47:44,127 --> 00:47:45,924 or so we're told. 710 00:47:46,087 --> 00:47:50,478 Yeah, but you don't see many foreigners on a line like this. 711 00:47:50,647 --> 00:47:53,525 No, you're probably the first foreigner 712 00:47:53,687 --> 00:47:56,838 to pass along this line in the last ten years. 713 00:47:57,007 --> 00:47:59,805 (MICHAEL) Well, so far it seems to be fine. 714 00:47:59,967 --> 00:48:01,958 The train left on time, 715 00:48:02,127 --> 00:48:04,118 everyone was very friendly, 716 00:48:04,287 --> 00:48:06,926 even the countryside is like farmland. 717 00:48:07,087 --> 00:48:10,079 I don't want to put people off coming to Algeria, 718 00:48:10,247 --> 00:48:14,320 because we've had no problems. People have been very friendly. 719 00:48:14,487 --> 00:48:17,638 I know we've been guarded by you and other people, 720 00:48:17,807 --> 00:48:20,844 but I don't feel there's been any hostility. 721 00:48:21,007 --> 00:48:24,556 No, there's no hostility from the general population. 722 00:48:24,727 --> 00:48:28,242 They're a very welcoming people as you've seen. 723 00:48:28,407 --> 00:48:31,877 Even at Chlef, where violence has been rife, 724 00:48:32,047 --> 00:48:35,164 there is an unthreatening air of ordinariness, 725 00:48:35,327 --> 00:48:39,525 but the hard fact remains that in the last ten years of terror, 726 00:48:39,687 --> 00:48:42,076 100,000 people have been killed. 727 00:48:50,767 --> 00:48:53,759 One thing you won't be able to see on our journey 728 00:48:53,927 --> 00:48:56,236 is the presence of the armed guards. 729 00:48:56,407 --> 00:48:59,205 They have quite a heavy security presence, 730 00:48:59,367 --> 00:49:03,360 both from Algiers and a town called Chlef where we stopped. 731 00:49:03,527 --> 00:49:05,518 They changed the guard round 732 00:49:05,687 --> 00:49:08,520 and 18 members of the Gendarmerie Nationale 733 00:49:08,687 --> 00:49:11,679 armed with AK47s came aboard to look after us. 734 00:49:11,847 --> 00:49:14,236 It's dangerous for them to be filmed, 735 00:49:14,407 --> 00:49:18,082 but the train is bristling with guards looking after us. 736 00:49:32,407 --> 00:49:34,398 Merci. 737 00:49:34,567 --> 00:49:37,035 (INDISTINCT) 738 00:49:39,287 --> 00:49:41,676 - Merci, monsieur. - Merci. 739 00:49:46,247 --> 00:49:49,364 The train used to be exotically known 740 00:49:49,527 --> 00:49:51,802 as the Algiers-Casablanca Express, 741 00:49:51,967 --> 00:49:55,562 but tensions between Algeria and Morocco over security 742 00:49:55,727 --> 00:49:57,797 have closed the railway border, 743 00:49:57,967 --> 00:50:00,561 and now the train terminates at Oran. 744 00:50:04,807 --> 00:50:08,800 The army can go home. I'm someone else's responsibility. 745 00:50:11,487 --> 00:50:13,443 - Great station! - Beautiful. 746 00:50:13,607 --> 00:50:16,075 Is Oran an important city? 747 00:50:16,247 --> 00:50:19,762 (EAMONN) Yes, it's the second city of Algeria. 748 00:50:26,007 --> 00:50:29,886 Now, where do we head? Off down here? 749 00:50:30,047 --> 00:50:32,277 Yeah, into the centre of town. 750 00:50:34,087 --> 00:50:38,638 Oran, like Algiers, is still steeped in French influence. 751 00:50:38,807 --> 00:50:43,039 Bare-breasted northern maidens gaze down from the opera house. 752 00:50:43,207 --> 00:50:46,597 Nearby, a carved likeness of Arab nationalist hero, 753 00:50:46,767 --> 00:50:48,166 Abdul Kader. 754 00:50:48,327 --> 00:50:50,841 The confusion reflects my own feelings 755 00:50:51,007 --> 00:50:53,965 as I near the end of the journey. 756 00:50:54,127 --> 00:50:56,561 This is the last big city on my journey, 757 00:50:56,727 --> 00:51:00,322 and you can't get much further west in Algeria than this, 758 00:51:00,487 --> 00:51:04,321 so I've got to think hard about how I'm going to get back home. 759 00:51:09,527 --> 00:51:12,678 I'm able to bypass the closed border with Morocco 760 00:51:12,847 --> 00:51:15,839 by taking a roundabout ferry route into Ceuta. 761 00:51:16,007 --> 00:51:18,237 From there it should be easy enough 762 00:51:18,407 --> 00:51:21,126 to get back across the Straits to Europe. 763 00:51:29,927 --> 00:51:33,476 Ceuta is a curiosity. It's a slice of Spanish territory 764 00:51:33,647 --> 00:51:37,560 clinging to the coast of Africa. It's surrounded by Morocco, 765 00:51:37,727 --> 00:51:40,241 and just as the Spanish want Gibraltar, 766 00:51:40,407 --> 00:51:43,604 the Moroccans would rather like Ceuta, 767 00:51:43,767 --> 00:51:47,442 but there's no sign of Spain parting with it. 768 00:51:47,607 --> 00:51:50,599 Indeed, this lovingly preserved monument 769 00:51:50,767 --> 00:51:54,282 commemorates a Spanish invasion of Morocco. 770 00:51:55,767 --> 00:51:58,486 The Spanish presence makes Ceuta a magnet 771 00:51:58,647 --> 00:52:01,445 for those wanting to get out of Africa. 772 00:52:03,687 --> 00:52:05,564 High on a hill above the town 773 00:52:05,727 --> 00:52:08,878 is one of the outlying defences of Fortress Europe, 774 00:52:09,047 --> 00:52:11,197 a holding centre for immigrants, 775 00:52:11,367 --> 00:52:13,927 built and run by the European Union. 776 00:52:14,087 --> 00:52:16,078 (MAN) Gracias. 777 00:52:19,527 --> 00:52:23,998 It's bright, clean and modern, and people can't wait to leave. 778 00:52:31,207 --> 00:52:35,166 There are nearly 400 men, women and children in the centre, 779 00:52:35,327 --> 00:52:39,923 but only 45 applications have been processed in the last six months. 780 00:52:40,087 --> 00:52:43,204 The inmates are restless, some are desperate, 781 00:52:43,367 --> 00:52:47,565 but they're not giving up - not after the risks they've taken. 782 00:52:47,727 --> 00:52:50,036 Where have you come from? 783 00:52:50,207 --> 00:52:53,597 - From Nigeria. - And how did you get here? 784 00:52:53,767 --> 00:52:56,156 Through the Sahara Desert. 785 00:52:56,327 --> 00:52:59,399 - On a vehicle? - With leg. 786 00:52:59,567 --> 00:53:02,206 On foot? You walked through the Sahara? 787 00:53:02,367 --> 00:53:06,155 - How long did that take? - It take me almost one year. 788 00:53:07,207 --> 00:53:09,402 How did you get here, into Ceuta? 789 00:53:09,567 --> 00:53:11,558 I passed through Sahara, 790 00:53:11,727 --> 00:53:14,924 get to Morocco, from Morocco I come to this place. 791 00:53:15,087 --> 00:53:18,477 How did you get here from Morocco? This is a fortress. 792 00:53:18,647 --> 00:53:21,445 I passed through the barbed wire, 793 00:53:21,607 --> 00:53:26,203 through the barbed wire with the fishing boat. 794 00:53:26,367 --> 00:53:28,562 I came by the boat. 795 00:53:28,727 --> 00:53:32,402 You came by boat and that brings you up onto the shore here? 796 00:53:32,567 --> 00:53:35,081 - Yeah. - Did you have to pay somebody? 797 00:53:35,247 --> 00:53:38,478 Yeah, for the boat we pay about 1,500... 798 00:53:38,647 --> 00:53:40,365 (INDISTINCT) 799 00:53:40,527 --> 00:53:43,564 1,500 dollars? U.S. dollars? 800 00:53:43,727 --> 00:53:46,002 Yeah. 801 00:53:46,167 --> 00:53:49,364 At the narrowest point of the Straits of Gibraltar, 802 00:53:49,527 --> 00:53:53,042 only nine miles separate these people from their goal. 803 00:53:53,207 --> 00:53:56,199 I'm lucky. I can cross the Straits in an hour, 804 00:53:56,367 --> 00:53:58,881 on a scheduled ferry in broad daylight, 805 00:53:59,047 --> 00:54:02,437 but thousands of Africans will pay good money 806 00:54:02,607 --> 00:54:06,156 to be brought over on unsuitable boats at dead of night. 807 00:54:06,327 --> 00:54:10,161 Belinda Braithwaite, who has a house close to where they land, 808 00:54:10,327 --> 00:54:14,718 knows that many will never reach the beaches of Europe alive. 809 00:54:14,887 --> 00:54:18,880 (BELINDA) They cross when it's calm in the middle of the night, 810 00:54:19,047 --> 00:54:22,357 but with the Straits, you can suddenly get a squall, 811 00:54:22,527 --> 00:54:26,042 and they've got too many people in the boat, 812 00:54:26,207 --> 00:54:30,200 none of them can swim and they don't have any life-jackets, 813 00:54:30,367 --> 00:54:32,164 and so the boat capsizes, 814 00:54:32,327 --> 00:54:35,558 and the poor things are thrown into the sea. 815 00:54:35,727 --> 00:54:38,036 Do they have any sort of navigation? 816 00:54:38,207 --> 00:54:41,165 Do they have to come along here with no lights? 817 00:54:41,327 --> 00:54:45,320 - Is it always at night? - It's always at night. 818 00:54:45,487 --> 00:54:49,321 Some of the worst casualties happen when it's a foggy night, 819 00:54:49,487 --> 00:54:53,162 because it would appear that some unscrupulous skippers 820 00:54:53,327 --> 00:54:57,525 say, "It's 200 yards over there, jump out here." 821 00:54:57,687 --> 00:54:59,917 I fact, it's more like a mile, 822 00:55:00,087 --> 00:55:03,636 so the poor people are out of their depth and can't swim. 823 00:55:03,807 --> 00:55:06,037 Imagine if you're a pregnant woman 824 00:55:06,207 --> 00:55:10,837 thrown over the side of a boat, and don't stand a chance. 825 00:55:11,007 --> 00:55:15,717 And when they do get ashore... I mean, this is... 826 00:55:15,887 --> 00:55:20,005 The boat must have gone against the rocks. There's holes in it. 827 00:55:20,167 --> 00:55:22,806 What happens when they get to the shore? 828 00:55:22,967 --> 00:55:26,960 They scatter quickly and disappear into the pine forest, 829 00:55:27,127 --> 00:55:30,199 but, obviously, if they've just got out of a boat 830 00:55:30,367 --> 00:55:32,562 or maybe had to swim the last bit, 831 00:55:32,727 --> 00:55:34,718 their clothes are sopping wet, 832 00:55:34,887 --> 00:55:37,037 and they tend to bring a little... 833 00:55:37,207 --> 00:55:39,801 - There you are. - Is that off a boat? 834 00:55:39,967 --> 00:55:43,164 Well, it looks remarkably like it's been bound up 835 00:55:43,327 --> 00:55:45,318 to keep it waterproof, 836 00:55:45,487 --> 00:55:48,718 and they would then keep some dry clothes in there. 837 00:55:48,887 --> 00:55:52,675 Here you've got the fellow's clothes that he's taken off. 838 00:55:52,847 --> 00:55:55,645 They take them off because they're sodden? 839 00:55:55,807 --> 00:55:59,720 Yeah. He's got shoes and bits and pieces and his water bottle. 840 00:55:59,887 --> 00:56:02,685 That's someone from Morocco, Mali... 841 00:56:02,847 --> 00:56:06,601 And then he'll just quickly get away before he's spotted. 842 00:56:06,767 --> 00:56:09,440 So there are clothes all over these dunes? 843 00:56:09,607 --> 00:56:13,759 What amazes me is that sometimes I come across them miles out. 844 00:56:23,607 --> 00:56:26,917 When at last I reach Gibraltar, the flags are flying, 845 00:56:27,087 --> 00:56:29,396 and day trippers fill the streets, 846 00:56:29,567 --> 00:56:32,400 but there's something different in the air, 847 00:56:32,567 --> 00:56:34,558 a smell of betrayal. 848 00:56:36,967 --> 00:56:41,199 Your Excellency, may I have your leave to secure the fortress? 849 00:56:41,367 --> 00:56:43,358 (INDISTINCT) 850 00:56:45,887 --> 00:56:49,766 After nearly 300 years, the unthinkable is happening. 851 00:56:49,927 --> 00:56:53,397 Britain and Spain are discussing joint sovereignty. 852 00:56:54,927 --> 00:56:57,725 (MAN SHOUTS) Who goes there? 853 00:56:57,887 --> 00:57:02,039 - The keys! - Whose keys? 854 00:57:02,207 --> 00:57:04,198 Queen Elizabeth's keys. 855 00:57:04,367 --> 00:57:07,165 Advance, Queen Elizabeth's keys. 856 00:57:07,327 --> 00:57:09,795 (INDISTINCT) 857 00:57:09,967 --> 00:57:12,197 The Ceremony of the Keys dates back 858 00:57:12,367 --> 00:57:14,358 to when the gates of the citadel 859 00:57:14,527 --> 00:57:16,324 were locked every night. 860 00:57:16,487 --> 00:57:19,559 The fortress is secure and all is well, sir. 861 00:57:19,727 --> 00:57:21,922 But how secure IS the fortress? 862 00:57:22,087 --> 00:57:26,478 Suddenly, this harmless ceremony seems loaded with significance. 863 00:57:26,647 --> 00:57:29,878 It's more than just an entertainment. 864 00:57:31,567 --> 00:57:34,877 Will the gates of Gibraltar have to be locked again? 865 00:57:47,087 --> 00:57:49,078 When I set out, I saw Gibraltar 866 00:57:49,247 --> 00:57:51,841 as the bridge between Europe and Africa, 867 00:57:52,007 --> 00:57:54,123 but now I've finished the journey, 868 00:57:54,287 --> 00:57:56,642 what's more important for the future 869 00:57:56,807 --> 00:58:00,322 is that the Sahara is the bridge from Africa into Europe. 870 00:58:01,447 --> 00:58:05,360 There is a danger in becoming obsessed with our own security. 871 00:58:05,527 --> 00:58:07,836 Locking out the enemies at the gate, 872 00:58:08,007 --> 00:58:09,998 may only create more enemies. 873 00:58:10,167 --> 00:58:13,603 The best hope for the future is to look around the gate, 874 00:58:13,767 --> 00:58:16,964 to find out more not less of how other people live. 875 00:58:17,127 --> 00:58:21,405 After all, this time a year ago, I thought the Sahara was empty! 876 00:58:57,287 --> 00:58:58,686 Whoo!